New All Black Wallace Sititi’s World Rugby awards nomination might have surprised the young man, but not those who saw his talents 10 years ago, if not longer.
The 22-year-old Sititi is up for Breakthrough Player of the Year, an award previously won by All Blacks teammates Mark Tele’a, Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane.
The loose forward, with the All Blacks in Turin preparing to face Italy this Sunday NZT, said: “It’s been a big year… I guess to have that acknowledgment is crazy. To be here is definitely not what I was expecting.”
To say the last 12 months have been crazy for Sititi is a massive understatement. This time last year he was coming off a club rugby season for West Auckland side Massey and his first full NPC campaign with North Harbour.
In 2022, Sititi was the Blues under-20 captain and also made the national under-20 team. Later that year, seeing the path blocked at Auckland and the Blues, he crossed the bridge and knocked on the door at the Harbour union.
Steve Jackson is a former Harbour head coach and current Black Ferns assistant. In 2022, he was the forwards coach with Harbour.
“Wallace came to us, it wasn’t about money, all he wanted was a crack at NPC, with a long-term view of making a Super Rugby squad,” Jackson told 1News.
“After our first meeting, he walked out of that room and I turned to the rest of our coaches and said ‘here’s a kid that’s going to be a leader’ – very quiet and smart, a real rugby thinker.
“You give him a game plan or defensive system and he knows everything straight away. Early on he was telling senior players where to go and where to stand.
“Wallace has some of the things you can’t coach.”
The Chiefs also saw something. They watched him make a few bench appearances in the 2022 NPC for Harbour and liked what they saw.
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan told 1News: “I think his first couple of actions off the bench in the NPC were direct collisions with Hoskins [Sotutu, playing for Counties-Manukau versus Harbour]. I thought ‘oh yeah, shit that’s not bad for a young fella’.
“We took a punt on him – yes he was in the national under-20s, but the Blues didn’t pick him up. After our first get together we knew we had a special young man.”
Sititi trained with the Chiefs in 2023 but only on a wider squad deal. He didn’t play last year but impressed with his handling skills and athleticism. McMillan said he needed to work on his fitness.
“A lot of these young guys think they’re working hard, but it’s not until they get alongside seasoned pros in Super squads that they realise they need to lift to a new level.”
McMillan said the penny dropped straight away for Sititi, who would go on to play in most the Chiefs’ games earlier this year, including the final.
“An articulate young man, very considered, mature beyond his years… from good stock… brought up with really good values. Those things have always been evident.”
Sititi was born in the Scottish borders when his dad, former Manu Samoa captain Semo Sititi, was playing professionally there. Wallace is named after Scotland’s national hero William Wallace.
Upon their return, the Sititis settled in Otahuhu, Auckland – in fact, just over the fence from De La Salle College, where Wallace attended from year seven through to year 13.
The former deputy head boy and first XV captain returned recently.
De La Salle principal Myles Hogarty said: “That’s Wallace, he came back between Tests this year and thanked the boys for supporting him when he was student himself… and thanked the school.
“He still lives over the fence with his mum and dad and brothers and sisters.”
Wallace’s younger brother Semo Junior attends the school.
“Wallace always wanted to be a pilot … he was always conscious of gaining the right qualifications and doing well in school,” Hogarty said.
“I’d say that’s definitely something he’ll pursue once he’s finished playing. He was always such a well-spoken and kind young man, a very good rugby player, good academic, from a wonderful family.
“He’s a great role model a wonderful example to all the boys, regards perseverance, hard work, extra work.”
Former coach Jackson said: “I think he’s going be one of the great All Blacks.”
Chiefs coach McMillan: “His level-headedness and the ability to absorb pressure and understand what he needs to do in each moment to add value to the team, I never had any doubt about that.”
“To do what he’s done this year in Super Rugby, let alone in Test match football is phenomenal, and probably ahead of many people’s expectations for such a young man.”
excerpt taken from 1news article here https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/11/20/special-sititis-breakthrough-no-surprise-to-those-who-know-him/
